A Little Blood Never Hurt Me
by edwardcullenslover01
Summary: Bella died and left Edward alone to face the world. When he moves to get away from his family what will he find? Or better yet who will he find? edward and a new character so very OOC! please review and tell me what you think! much love
1. Soccer Speech

"A Little Bit of Blood Never Hurt Me"

Annabelle stood in the deserted locker room, slipping her grumpy bear t-shirt on and throwing her purple-striped, black soccer uniform into her duffel bag, followed by her cleats and black knee socks. _Click, click, click, click. _She turned the wheel on her white iPod (the original one- not one of those little ones that break in half like a twig) turning up the volume as she started to hum along to "Everything" by Michael Bublé. The thirteen year old walked over to a mirror, a new pair of knee socks in hand. She slipped them on and made sure the magenta, blue, and grey horizontal stripes lined up. I guess you could call her a little O.C.D. She went and grabbed her black combat boots. At least that's what other people called them. She just called them boots, because she wasn't a cowboy, therefore she didn't bother with cowboy boots. If they were boots, she called them boots. She zipped them up and walked back to the mirror, tugging at her shirt and pulling it down to cover more of her skirt. The shirt hugged her curves and the short sleeves came a short ways down her upper arms. The skirt was Annabelle's favorite, with layers of pink silk overlaid by their own layers of black fringe. It was a little shorter than fingertip length.

Edward pushed against the metal doors of the locker room. _Lecture time… yet again, _he thought, stopping in mid step as he heard a loud voice.

"And through this crazy life, and through these crazy times, it's you, it's you," sung the voice.

"Wow," he muttered. He thought it was amazing, but wouldn't say it out loud. He swallowed the words and continued to walk.

"You're every line. You're every word. Your everything."

He turned in between two sets of purple lockers to see Annabelle jumping in the air and spinning, just to land, and spin some more. "You can really dance, you know," he said, loud enough for her to hear over the music.

Annabelle turned quickly to face Edward, who was leaning against the lockers with an amused look on his face. She straightened up like she hadn't been dancing or singing, but just standing there, inhumanly still. She yanked the headphones out of her ears and put them behind her back, blushing.

Edward sat down and patted the bench beside him. Annabelle took a hesitant step forward and Edward nodded, motioning for her to sit down.

"Now, Annabelle,"

_Great. What did I do this time? _She thought, nervously picking at her black nail polish, chipping away little specks of it as she sat down a good distance from Edward on the bench that ran in between the rows of lockers.

"The goalies are all scared of you, and I don't blame them. You kick pretty hard, and sometimes, it seems you aim for their heads," Edward said. Annabelle turned her head and suppressed a laugh. She faced forward with a hint of a smile on her face. "Annabelle," he said.

"Edward," she replied, mocking his warning tone. He sighed and gently took Annabelle's chin in one hand and turned her to face him. He looked into Annabelle's crystal blue eyes, trying to read her thoughts, even though he knew by now that he couldn't.

"This seriously isn't funny. Not in the least bit. And it's coach to you," he said as she turned forward, glaring at the lockers, her eyes narrowed. He withdrew his hand and she stood up and walked back over to the mirror, dropping her iPod on top of the duffel bag as she walked by it. She put her hair up in a pony tail and then up in a clip, ignoring Edward's voice telling her to come back and sit because he was her coach and "You're supposed to respect your elders."

She gave a little snort and pulled at her shirt again. Edward watched in frustration, noticing something he hadn't before. She was beautiful. She had light brown, shiny, lustrous hair. She was tall, but not gangly. She had gorgeous legs and perfect lips. Edward mentally slapped himself.

_You are at least a hundred years older than her, Edward. Stop looking her, _he repeated in his head, but he couldn't stop. Bella had died about ten years prior, and Alice was rushing him to find a suitable spouse, so he moved to Virginia to avoid her demands. _This isn't working out so well,_ he thought. _She's too young, anyhow._

"You're staring," Annabelle said, crossing her arms and facing her coach. "It's kinda creepy and mildly disturbing."

"I was thinking, not staring at you," Edward lied, looking away to hide his embarrassment.

"I didn't say you were staring at _me_, but jeez, I'm flattered," Annabelle replied sarcastically. She took her iPod off the top of her bag and put it inside, zipping the bag as she threw it over her shoulder. Without another word, she walked past Edward and turned right, and then left and through the metal doors to the sunset outside.

"Wait! Annabelle," he called, chasing after her. He stopped, his hand out reached in her direction. He slowly lowered his hand and stared as she ran out of sight in seconds. He remembered the days when he shone in the sun, but thanks to Carlisle, who found a sort of cure for that, he didn't have to look like a walking diamond. He turned and walked to his car, a silver Volvo. "She should be in track, too," he muttered. He opened the door and pulled the key out of his pocket. He put it in the ignition and climbed into the car, turning and closing the door afterward. He turned the key, and the engine turned over, but wouldn't start. _Clunk…clunk…clunk…clunkcklunkclunk. _Edward gave up and leaned against the chair, sighing.

Yes, he could have fixed the car, probably even blind folded, but he didn't feel like moving. He felt almost exhausted, like if he tried to lift an arm, it would feel like it were a pillar of stone, and not a stub of flesh and bone. He managed to lock the doors and roll the front windows down part way, but he soon fell into a sort of sleepy trance.


	2. sorry about your facenot

_Beep…beep beeeeeeep,_ were the lovely sounds of the horn that he was resurfaced by. He jumped and opened his eyes in time to see Annabelle walking away from his car to the opposite side of the field from the other girls on the team, who were sitting down to stretch. He watched for a while and flinched every time Annabelle kicked a ball into the empty goal with incredible force.

"Why did I make the schedule with games on Fridays and practice the next day?" he asked himself out loud, getting out of his car and walking onto the field were the majority of the team was gathered when he was tapped on the shoulder.

"Oh, Coach Edward," a sweet voice said. He turned to see Martha standing there. Martha, the fifteen year old teen who was hell-bent on marrying him.

"What, Martha? You're supposed to warming up."

"Could _you_ warm me up?" she whispered into his hear in a seducing tone.

"No, you little whore!" is what he felt like saying, but he just stuck with a 'no'.

He turned his back to her and saw Annabelle, who had apparently been watching, shake her head and kick the ball harder than usual. He couldn't see her face, so he didn't know if she was laughing or shaking her head in disgust.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Martha! Is it so hard to run with out faking an injury?" Edward shouted from across the field.. She pouted and tried to stand up, but screamed in faux-pain. Edward sighed exasperatedly and jogged over to Martha to help her up. Martha acted like she stumbled and fell into Edward's chest, her blonde hair forming a sort of veil around her face. She stuck out her rear and Edward gagged, looking upward and unlatching Martha from his body. "You're fine, Martha. Go and practice." She walked away, pretending to limp as she went. Eventually she gave up and took her frustration out on Annabelle.

"Oops. Sorry, sweetie. Didn't mean to trip you like that," she said after she stuck her foot out and watched as Annabelle fell to the ground. Annabelle stood up and started to walk away, but the giggling coming from Martha drove her over the edge that she was already slipping off of. She turned around and ran at Martha, tackling her to the ground and punching her. There was a cracking sound and Martha shrieked .

"Stop calling me sweetie, stop lying, and stop breathing, you bitch!" Annabelle shouted in Martha's face. It all happened so fast that Edward had just broken in and pulled Annabelle off of the sobbing Martha. He dragged Annabelle away and restrained the struggling girl in a bear hug, flinching when she kicked and bit him, but he didn't let go.

_At least I get to hold her,_ he thought. _Stop, Edward. Stop! She's only thirteen !_ Annabelle stopped and fell limp. The sudden dead weight made Edward lose balance and fall, giving Annabelle a chance to run to the locker room where she stayed until everyone one else went home.

Edward followed the broken sobs to a huddled, shaking mass in a far corner, covered by a hoodie.

"Annabelle?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

Annabelle froze in shock, then nodded her head.

"No, you're not, Annabelle. What happened?"

"The bitch tripped me. I got pissed. I tackled her. I punched her. I told her to stop breathing. You stopped me. I ran here," Annabelle muttered.

"Come on. You could be hurt." Edward held his hand out and Annabelle took it, standing up and gave Edward a hug, startling him.

"I'm s-sorry," she said through jagged breathes. "I'm just so tired of… well, life in general. I mean, I'm not gonna go jump of a bridge, but I don't care what happens anymore. I go with my first thought and act. I don't stop until I feel like it or I am stopped." She wiped her left eye, and that's when Edward saw it. He took Annabelle by the shoulders and pushed her back a little so he could see her hand better. There was a sickening bony lump in between two joints on one of her middle fingers.

"Oh, gosh, Annabelle. What happened to your finger?" he asked in a worried voice.

Annabelle laughed. "I think I broke it. What, you think I was crying because I punched the little wh- I mean Martha?"

"Yes, actually. I thought you felt guilty," he said, taking her hand in his and examining her finger. He touched it and she jumped.

"I hurt you," he said guiltily.

"Thanks for the news flash, Captain Obvious."

Edward blushed and looked down at his feet. _How does she make a fool out of me so easily? _he asked himself.

Annabelle put her free hand on her hip and tapped her foot impatiently. "Are you just gonna hold my hand there all day?"

Edward released her hand and went to fetch a first aid kit, Annabelle at his heels, trying her best not to show any signs of pain, though every time she took a step, her finger throbbed.


	3. new living arrangement

""Ah, here it is," Edward said after a few minutes of digging around in a musty locker. He pulled out a white plastic box. He set it on the bench and sat down, with a leg over either side of the bench.

Annabelle sat with her legs crossed facing Edward. He took her finger yet again and opened the box, rummaging for a finger splint. He found a bright pink one and watched as Annabelle stuck a finger down her throat and pretended to vomit.

"Sorry about the color," he said. "And this is going to hurt… a lot."

Annabelle nodded and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the unavoidable. Edward put the splint down and held her finger on either side of the bump and counted.

"One… two… three," He pulled hard on the finger and let go. The bone snapped back into place. Annabelle gasped and started to breathe heavily, swallowing a scream. "Are you okay?" Edward asked, looking up at her face. Her eyes were closed and her frown had turned into pursed lips in a straight line.

"Yeah. It's just that it feels like my finger was just run over by a semi carrying a wide load of cement sixteen times. Scratch that… seventeen times," she answered though her teeth, trying to control her breathing.

She didn't move the whole time Edward put her finger in the splint. She didn't even open her eyes.

"Do you feel sick?" he asked. She didn't answer in time before she passed out and collapsed onto the floor.

"Annabelle! You scared me!" She was pulled from her laying position on the bench into a hug against Edward's chest. Strangely, it was comforting to her. It would be kinda awkward to be hugged by your coach like that, but at the moment, she didn't think so.

"Breathing is important to me, you know."

"Oh, sorry. I'm just so relieved," Edward said, releasing her, just to pull her back into a gentler hug. Annabelle slowly raised an arm and patted his back, waiting for him to stop.

"You need to get home to your parents and tell them what happened," he said after letting her go and sitting in silence for a while. Annabelle looked away from Edward.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"I have of shortage in parents at the moment."

"Divorce?"

"I… I don't really know," she whispered. Edward laid a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged it off.

"I don't quite follow," he said.

"My… my parents dumped me at my relatives' house seven years ago. They've let me leave and live on my own. I have a job at a local music store that pays well, and I sold some belongings, so I've managed to scrounge up enough money for common necessities, and I own some clothes and bags and stuff. Now, I live in an abandoned apartment. They forgot to shut off the water, though, so it's livable. Please don't tell anyone. I don't want to go back to my family."

Edward seemed to think for a moment. _No, no, bad idea, _he thought, but he said it anyway.

"Come live with me, then."

Annabelle's face fell. She had known him for about five months, so it's not like she didn't trust him, but she was too troublesome to deal with. At least in her eye she was.

"Come on. You'll have your own room. I'll respect your privacy, I swear."

"I don't want to be a bother. I'll be fine. I've almost adapted to my living conditions, anyhow," she protested.

"It'll be fine. I've got enough money. You shouldn't live alone. It's too dangerous for a girl your age, Annabelle."

"You look too young to live in your own house, too."

"I'm seventeen and you're, what? Thirteen? You're living on your own. Besides, my parents bought the house for me and they trust me. I have sisters who can visit, so you won't be the only girl all the time, either."

"I can't go now, anyways. I have stuff to pack."

"Then let's go. I'll help you."


	4. you and I

Annabelle's POV

Annabelle's POV

"Is that it? It all fits in the trunk of my car!" Edward said. I rolled my eyes.

"What's the point in owning so many clothes that I may never be able wear them all before I die?" I asked.

"You have a very dismal outlook on life," he criticized.

"I also have a reason."

"Fair enough. Ready to go?"

"Sure, whatever."

On the way to his house, I colored my finger splint with black sharpie. Edward was worried that I would kill the rest of my 'low supply' of brain cells, so he rolled down the windows. I told him if he was so smart, he could figure out how to transfer his brain cells to my head, because he had some to spare, or so he claimed.

His house was just the right size. It had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a dining room, and a two car garage. The interior was mostly white, with a red vase here or a black rug there. My new room gave me a view of a stream, and it was next to Edward's own room, which had only a large, comfy looking white couch, a TV on the wall across from his window, which also faced the stream, and racks and racks of c.d.s on the empty walls. The genres ranged from jazz to heavy metal to mariachi and from James Brown to the Beatles, to Nickelback and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The drive took us through the suburbs then into a forest, which is where Edward's house was located, in the middle of an open field with bright green grass, surrounded by trees. A creek ran through part of his lawn.

"I think I have some clothes that might fit you," Edward said as he walked into my room, several articles of clothing draped over his arm. "They're my sister's clothes. I accidentally packed them when I moved out. I wasn't paying much attention, I was just throwing stuff in boxes and bags."

I took them from his arms and set them on my bed, looking through them. "Thanks," I said, turning to him and smiling. He nodded.

"Come down when you're settled." He left the room and closed the door behind him. I heard his footsteps go down the stairs and fade away. He chose well, in my opinion anyway. None of the clothes were bright colors. They were colors like red, grey, blue, and black. I put on a black, fringy, mini-dress that had short sleeves that covered my shoulders and then I slipped on a pair of blue jeans that matched the crystal blue of my eyes. They hugged my upper legs and loosened around the knees, getting baggier as they reached to my ankles. I put on some pink and black checkered vans and my pair of black leather fingerless gloves. When I was done, I plopped down onto my grey comforter and drifted off into a sort of trance, thinking about all of the events that had happened that day. About an hour passed, then I snapped out of it, stood up, turned out my light, and left the room.

"Coach Edward?" I called. I looked from room to room then went back to my room where I looked out my window and saw him sitting on the porch swing on the back porch. I left my room and walked down the stairs, hooking a sharp left and opening the sliding glass doors leading to the patio that served as the back porch. "Coach Edward?"

He nodded.

"Are you okay?"

He nodded yet again, and then turned his gaze to me and raised his eyebrows. "Wow. You look great," he said, and he regretted it the moment he let it slip out, quickly turning his gaze back to the direction of the creek, which was shrouded in darkness. All you could hear was the chirping crickets and cicadas and the rustling of the fall leaves in the breeze and the gurgling of the creek.

I walked over and sat down next to him, which caused him to shift uneasily away from me. "Thank you," I whispered, clasping my hands together with difficulty from my finger brace. I heard him swallow and he turned his head so he was facing away from me and to the side. "For everything, I mean," I took my left hand, the one without the brace, and took his hand and intertwined my fingers in his. He jumped in surprise from the contact, but gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked quietly. He turned to face me and he took his other hand and laid it overtop of our hands.

"I'm very confused, Annabelle." I waited for him to say what he was confused about, but he didn't explain.

"About what?" I asked.

"About you."

"Me?"

"Well, about you and I."


	5. alice the pixie

Annabelle's POV

Edward's POV

I searched her eyes for any hint of emotion, but found nothing but the same confusion as I had.

"Annabelle?" She shook her head back and forth and pressed her right hand to her forehead. I took the hand I wasn't holding her's with and lifted her chin and she moved her hand from her head to her lap. I looked into her beautiful crystal blue eyes and she looked at me.

_Flash._

"Alice?! What the hell?" Edward shouted at a little pixie-like figure with short black hair done up in spikes. She laughed a tinkly little laugh and looked at a picture on her digital camera.

Annabelle's POV

"Yup. This will make a great Christmas card! Who's your new girlfriend? I hope she's as cool as Bella. Hey! That's my old dress! You look good, girl! Hi, I'm Alice, Edward's sister," she spat out quickly. I hesitantly put my hand out to shake hers, but she just hugged me, one leg popping up. She stepped back and smiled. She came out of _nowhere_. I didn't even hear her coming.

"Uh, Alice, this is Annabelle, and she's not really my girlfriend. She's a team member on the soccer team I coach, and my new roomy… sorta," Edward said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "May I have a word, Alice?" he asked as he stood, pushing Alice away with him by her lower back. I heard her say something about me being too young for him, and I blushed. We weren't even really together… not that I was aware of.

Several minutes past as I listened to the hushed, but violent, whispers being shared by the siblings. There were several thrusts and pointed figures in my direction, making me feel rather awkward. I guess he straightened everything out, whatever it was, so Alice said, "Oooooooooh," really loud and nodded, going inside. Edward walked back over to me.

"You'll have to excuse Alice. She can be… peculiar at times," he said.

"It's fine. She seems…"

"Interesting?" Edward finished my sentence.

"I was gonna say nice, but that, too." Edward chuckled and took me by my hand, helping me up.

"Annabelle, I really do have feelings for you. I'll understand if you don't return them." He wrapped me in a hug and kissed the top of my head. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. We walked hand in hand together back inside.

Annabelle's POV

I came back out of my room in some grey shorts and a dark purple tank top with my hair put up in a high ponytail and an elastic headband on and blue fuzzy slippers on my feet. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth with a new toothbrush (Courtesy of Alice. She happens to carry spares…).

"Coach Edward?" I called.

"Yes, in the living room. And it's Edward… when no one we know is around, anyway."

I sat down next to Edward on the couch in the living room and watched the channels as he quickly flipped through them. On one of the channels was a commercial for cake mix, when I realized something. Tomorrow would be my fourteenth birthday.

"Oh, wow," I said in realization.

"What is it?"

"Tomorrow is my fourteenth birthday… dammit!" I said.

"What's wrong with birthdays?"

"Another year older, another year wasted."

"Why do you say wasted?"

"Well, what have I done to help some one? All I do is get in the way, really."

Alice walked into the room from the kitchen with a tray of elegant looking finger sandwiches balanced on one hand. "Let's watch a movie," she suggested.

So we all sat down and dusted off one of the best movies on the face of the Earth: Tomb Raider. The commercials rolled and I could already feel the toll that my exhausting day was taking on me. I yawned and stretched my arms upward, curling my fingers into fists, popping them (at least the ones I could bend). I slouched against the back of the couch and curled up into a ball and closed my eyes.


	6. torture they call shopping

Annabelle's POV

Alice's POV

_She's so cute… awww, she makes pawing motions in her sleep… almost like a little kicked puppy. Okay, kicked puppies are depressing. She's not a kicked puppy. No, she's a happy, frolicking, little puppy. Yeah, that sounds a bit less depressing,_ Alice thought, letting her mind wander aimlessly as she watched Annabelle sleep, curled up next to Edward on the couch. Edward looked down at her, too, chuckling. He pulled Annabelle up into his lap, patting her back.

"Well, I'm going for a late-night shopping run. See ya, Edward. Keep her safe." I got up and walked through the front door. "You're going to have to tell her soon. You can't keep the secret from her forever. You're not dangerous anymore, but it wouldn't be fair to keep it from her." He nodded solemnly and I closed the door, heading to my yellow Porsche.

Edward's POV

I listened to the sound of the Porsche zooming off when Annabelle woke up, rubbing her eyes. She looked up at me.

"Good morning," she muttered. "You know, whenever we made contact before, you felt like ice. You seem to be getting warmer every time." She paused a moment. "You're weird."

I chuckled and helped her sit up. She slouched against the back of the couch and closed her eyes, falling asleep again almost instantly. I grabbed her hand and stood up. She groaned in protest, but followed. I led her up the stairs and into her room. She stumbled to her bed and fell asleep maybe a minute later. I covered her up with her blanket and brushed some hair out of her face, leaning down over her and kissing her on her nose.

"Goodnight," I whispered. I walked over to the doorway and switched off the light. I turned to look at her once more, but all I saw was a bundle under the covers, rolling over. I smiled and left the room, closing the door behind me.

"At least it's winter break," I told myself as I took the movie out of the DVD player and put it back in it's case. I pressed the power button on the TV and turned it off,. I went back upstairs to my room, which was next to Annabelle's. I turned the light off and flopped onto my couch, turning the stereo on low and played Bella's lullaby over and over again.

Alice's POV

I got home to find that everyone was in bed (or on their couch). _I'll make it easier for Edward. Breaking the news might be hard the second time around, _I thought. I put down my load of bags and walked up the stairs and to Annabelle's door. I went in without knocking and sat down on her bed. She groaned and chunked a pillow in my general direction, missing me by inches.

"Come on, Annabelle, I have something to tell you, and you'll need to listen."

She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs. "What is it," she mumbled, trying to keep her eyes open.

"I've got some news," I started.

Annabelle's POV

"You and Edward are… vampires?!" I asked for the millionth time, to make sure my ears hadn't forsaken me at such an early age. A distraught looking Alice, rubbing her temples and sitting in a chair in the corner of my room, nodded back.

"And you guys can run fast, are super strong, have powers, good hearing and eyesight, are smart, rich, and have lived for hundreds of years, but at the same age you were when you were bitten, at least physically?"

She nodded again.

"Oh, and you don't sleep in coffins, well actually, you don't sleep, you don't turn into a bat, you don't die when stabbed through the heart with a stake of any sort, and silver bullets don't do it either, and you don't hunt humans. Correct?"

Alice nodded a third time. "You pretty much covered it all," she said laughing. "We don't hunt humans because we aren't beasts. There are other vampires out there that would take you in a second, because your scent happens to be very rare and enticing," she said, getting so serious so suddenly that I thought she might be kidding, but she wasn't. You could see the worry in her eyes.

"Wait… I smell good?" I asked, sniffing my forearm. Alice laughed.

"I'm sure your body smells good if you shower on a regular basis, but I'm talking about your blood. My family has trained themselves to ignore the smells of blood and live normal lives, and Edward is a great example with Bella. They were so in love… then she died, but Edward didn't kill her. No, the Volturi did, that clan I told you about. Those bastards killed Bella…"

I saw tears well up in her eyes. "Wait, you can cry?"

"Well, it's hard to get a vampire to cry. You see, the strongest aspects from the vampire's first life carry over. Edward could always understand people's feeling, liking reading their minds. Some vampires were emotional when they were actually alive, so they can cry and be happy and stuff," Alice explained. "Besides, I wasn't crying," she said, wiping her eyes defiantly.

"So, today's your birthday?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Then get dressed. We're going shopping."

Before I had time to protest she left the room. I got up and put on my newly laundered skirt and grumpy bear t-shirt and boots and knee socks. I put my hair up in a pony tail and then up in my clip and sat, waiting for Alice to retrieve me. I wasn't going until I had to.


	7. why did I do that?

Annabelle's POV

Edward's POV

"Thank you, Alice," I said, wrapping her in a hug. "I wasn't looking forward to it."

She nodded. "I'm going shopping with Annabelle. Maybe you could make a cake while we are gone. Don't worry, you've got plenty of time."

I shook my head. "That is just cruel, Alice."

She smiled and turned before she left my room. "I know," she said, giggling.

I listened as the Porsche drove away about five minutes later. I went down stairs and to the kitchen. I took out some cake mix and set it out on the counter so I wouldn't forget to make it.

Annabelle's POV

"Shit, Alice! You're going to kill us!" I squeaked, digging my nails into the leather passenger seat and holding on for dear life.

She laughed her tinkly little laugh as she zoomed through the traffic at breakneck speeds. "Don't worry. You'll be fine, I swear. I wouldn't want a scratch on you. Edward might kill me. He's protective of his loved ones."

I blushed and turned to look out the window, but quickly turned back because all I could see were blurs. "We are _not _together, Alice."

"You know you like him," she said as we pulled into the mall's parking lot.

"I thought the mall was an hour away," I said.

"Well, it didn't move," she joked.

Annabelle's POV

"That's right, you jerk! No one messes with Alice Cullen's little sister!" Alice yelled over her shoulder at a teenage boy on the ground holding his nose and rib cage.

I, of course, had started running away. Alice easily matched my speed.

"Gosh, those perves will do anything to get a girl," she said. "It's a shame we have to end our trip so soon. I have to leave tonight and I wanted quality time," she whined as we got to our car. I was huffing and puffing with my hands on my knees. I looked up at her.

"How come you aren't breathing heavy?" I asked.

"Vampires don't need to breathe or eat. We can choose to, though," she explained.

We got in her car and sped out of the parking lot. "Nice punch, Annabelle. I don't have to worry about you not defending yourself, do I?" Alice complimented.

I shrugged. "I'm just wondering why you had to kick him in the ribs when he was down. That was gruesome!" I gave her a high five.

"Hey, why'd you say I was your little sister back there?" I asked.

"Because I hope you will be someday," she answered, shrugging.

"That would be so frickin' awesome!" I shrieked. I, Annabelle Wilkinson, a vampire in the Cullen clan.

"You do know that means marrying Edward, right?" she asked. My face fell. I, Annabelle Cullen… It doesn't have the same ring to it.

"I don't know, Alice. I don't know if I love him," I said quietly. We pulled into the driveway and got out of the car.

"You'll figure it out," Alice said. We walked inside and set down our few bags that we had.

"It's interesting that you were born on Christmas Eve, Annabelle. Hey, can I call you Belle?" Alice asked.

"I guess," I said. Some one grabbed me from behind and wrapped me in a hug, setting their chin on my head.

"Bell has a nice ring to it, but Bells is better," Edward said, giving me a squeeze and kissing my head. I still wasn't used to all this clingy, huggy, touchy stuff. I escaped the embrace and turned around. Edward was gone.

"Just 'cause you can run fast doesn't mean you have to," I shouted. It echoed through the house and reverberated off the walls. Edward grabbed me from behind again and pulled me onto the couch.

"Ugh, Edward, let me go!" I said, kicking.

Alice came out of the kitchen with an extravagant birthday cake in hand and looked at us. "Awww, you guys are so cute together!" she squealed.

"Alice!" I said, exasperated. Edward chuckled and released his grip on me. I sat up and got off of him. He saw that I was upset and his smile faded.

"I'm sorry, Annabelle. I was just playing," he said, taking my hand.

"You don't need to apologize. I'm just not used to touchy stuff," I said. Alice said something else about us being cute together and I gave her the death glare.

"Oh, my bad," she said, turning and walking back into the kitchen after setting the cake down on the table.

I got up and started for the stairs, but a hand stopped me.

"Belles, are you okay?" Edward asked, looking me in the eye with a concerned look on his face.

"It's Annabelle," I walked away and up the stairs to my room. I grabbed my iPod and put the headphones into my ears. I crawled underneath the bed and laid there, listening to music.

_Flashback_

_"Sissy, will you play ball with me?" Maria asked. She stood in Annabelle's bedroom doorway at their aunts house._

_"Not right now, Maria. Ask Luke. He'll play with you."_

_"I hate our cousins. They're mean to me, Annabelle!"_

_"Go away!"_

_"But-"_

_"No!"_

_"I hate you!" Maria screamed, running down the hallway and down the stairs._

_A few minutes passed and Annabelle heard a scream coming from outside. She got up and looked out of her window to see six-year-old Maria laying dead in the blood splattered road, a pick-up truck squeal it's tires and speed away, and a basketball rolled to the opposite side of the road and hit the curb._

_End Flashback_


	8. why do I hurt everywhere?

Annabelle's POV

_Knock, knock, knock.._

"Go away unless you're willing to face death!" I shouted, trying to make it sound like I wasn't crying.

_My sanctuary, where fears and lies melt away._

The sound of _Sanctuary_ rung in my ears.

_My hearts a battle ground._

My bedroom door opened and someone walked in. "Go away!" I shouted.

_You show me how nothing's whole, and nothing's broken._

Edward got on his knees and reached his hand toward me and I rolled out of under my bed and threw my iPod down. I took one look at Edward's face filled with worry.

"No," I whispered, and I broke into a run.

I ran out of my room and down most of the stairs, then I jumped over the railing and hit the ground running. I zipped out the front door, blowing past Alice. I don't know what came over me, but I didn't stop. I tripped, did a summersault, and kept running. I could feel the blood running down my leg. My socks had slid down and become bundles at my ankles. I wasn't lost. All I did was run alongside the road near Edward's house. I slowed to a trot after about fifteen minutes of sprinting. I could tell that Edward was coming. I had a gut feeling, and I wanted to hide. I went into the woods behind me and went to a random tree. I tried to climb the bare tree trunk, but I kept slipping down and scratching the inside of my legs and my arms and my stomach where my shirt came up as I slid against the tree. I was still crying and I felt terrible. It was _my_ fault she died. I slid down the tree trunk once more and curled up on the forest floor, sobbing.

There was a crack of thunder and then it started raining. It was cold, and I was wet. I laid there, just listening to the thunder and the sound of the raindrops hitting the leaves all around me. "Maria… Maria."

Annabelle's POV

I woke up in the warmth of my bed and Edward's arms around me. I was wrapped up in my comforter. I looked at the clock. It was nine at night. Edward realized that I was awake and gave me a gentle squeeze.

"I'm so, so sorry," I whispered.

"Don't worry about it," Edward said. "Go back to sleep. You can explain later."

I woke up about ten o'clock in the morning and went to the bathroom. I peeled off my stiff clothes and took a shower. The soap made my body sting where it made contact with my various cuts, scrapes, and gashes. When I stepped out of the shower box, I saw a message written on the mirror in the mist. It read: "Annabelle, there is an outfit for you on your bed. Love, Alice."

I wrapped my towel around me and walked to my room, where I saw my worst nightmare. There was a red dress with white feather trim around the cuffs and hem, a matching Santa hat, and some black boots with heels. I tossed my dirty clothes in the hamper and hid the atrocious outfit Alice left me in the air conditioning vent on the ceiling and put the boots under my bed. I went to my dresser and retrieved a black spaghetti strap shirt and a pair of white shorts, a pair of underwear, and an undershirt. I put them on and then I put on some white ankle socks. I brushed my hair and put it in puppy ears and hung my towel on the end of my bed and left my room. I went to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, then I walked down the stairs and into the living room where I saw Alice, sitting on the couch.

"I thought you were leaving last night," I said, sitting down next to her, being careful not to irritate any flesh wounds.

"I thought you might want to talk about something. Besides, didn't you see my note on the mirror," she said, narrowing her eyes when she noticed I wasn't wearing her outfit.

I quickly thought of an excuse. "The long sleeves and boots would have hurt my cuts," I answered.

She sighed. "Fine. You would've looked so cute, though."

"Sorry, Alice." I tried to sound like I cared.

"Yeah, yeah, kiddo. You don't have to lie. So, what was the fit about last night?" she asked.

I explained how my sister had died two years before on Christmas Eve and how it was all my fault. And how she had only been six. Alice hugged me and I leaned against her, crying. Edward walked in through the back door.

"I'm back from hunting." He looked at me and Alice on the couch. "Why are you crying, Annabelle? And what happened? You're all scratched up. Is that from last night? What did you do?" He walked over to the couch and was about to sit down.

"Edward, can I talk to you?" Alice asked. They walked to the back porch and closed the door behind them. I heard Alice start to cry and then Edward said something. Then silence. Alice talked for a while and then Edward said something and then Alice sniffled. It would've made more sense if I had heard what they were saying. They came back inside and Alice went upstairs and Edward sat down next to me. It was then that I realized that the whole house was decorated for Christmas. There was a Christmas tree in the corner by the piano decorated with tinsel and little blue twinkling lights. There were wreaths and holly sprigs here and there. Silver bells hung in the front and back doorways.

"Annabelle… I'm so sorry," Edward whispered, hugging me. This time I hugged back. I had steadied my breathing while Edward and Alice had been talking, but this almost made me cry again. I looked up and smiled at Edward. He slowly leaned down and gently kissed me on the lips.

Edward's POV

I wrapped her in a hug around her abdomen. She shuddered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, bolting upright.

"Nothing. It's just some scratches," she answered quietly.

"I'm sorry. I forgot… I'll get some Neosporin," I muttered apologetically.

"I don't need Neosporin, Edward," Annabelle argued, crossing her arms, but quickly uncrossing them because of her scratches.

"I think you do," I replied, laughing a little.

"I'm _not_ going to put it on," she said in denial.

"Then I'll put it on for you," I supplied, shrugging.

"But-" I held my hand and she stopped, realizing there was no point in arguing any further.

"Fine. I'll put it on myself," she muttered.

"Too late, so sorry," I said shrugging and walking up the stairs.


	9. AN so sorry

**I hate ANs too but bare with me please!!and read it**

**Ok guys this is my friends story _but_ she wont put it up so I had no choice but to do it because it is a very awsome story. she will probably kill me for it but Frankly my dear I dont give a damn. OOOOHHHHH!!Anyone who can give me the movie I got that line from will get a reward!! Virtual reward of course because i dont know how to jump though a computer!!lol but keep reviewing and reading and tell me what you think!**


	10. touchy touchy

Annabelle's POV

Annabelle's POV

I watched as he walked up the stairs to go to his bathroom.

A little bit later, Alice came down the stairs, numerous bags in hand. "Tell your lover-boy I said goodbye."

I rolled my eyes. "'Kay, Alice. Bye!" I said, waving as she walked out the door. I subconsciously started scratching at my cuts on my arms and legs. I headed upstairs to my bathroom in case I started bleeding. I didn't want to get blood on anything white, which was practically everything in the house.

I thought for a moment and took the roll of toilet paper and made a sort of pallet on the tile. Then I sat on it and waited for Edward to walk by. Eventually, he did. He was whistling and he walked right by, then I heard his tune fade to one low tone that faded out to silence. He walked backwards and peered in the doorway, cocking his head. He motioned to me and then to the floor and furrowed his brow in confusion. I motioned to the cuts on my legs.

"We should get that taken care of," Edward said, walking over to me and kneeling down. He looked at the cuts and pulled out the Neosporin. He opened the tube and squeezed some of the creamy substance onto his finger and took my left hand in his, rubbing it over the various wounds on my left arm. To my surprise, it didn't really hurt. I smiled.

"What?" Edward asked, laughing. I shrugged.

"I guess I was expecting it to burn It doesn't too much."

Edward laughed some more. "You think I would do something I know would hurt you?" he asked, acting like he was offended. He switched his attention to my right arm.

"I didn't mean to upset you," I replied back in the same joking manor. He finished up my right arm and moved to my left leg. The large, open cut on the knee hurt a little more than everything else, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"I'm sorry," Edward said, leaning forward and kissing my cheek. He massaged the cream farther up my leg, sending shivers up my spine.

"Are you cold?" he asked as his fingers slid under my shorts to reach some of the higher scratches.

"A little," I lied. "I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry. I know that my hands are cold. I can't really help it, you know," he said.

"Stop apologizing, Edward. It's not your fault." He switched to my other leg and soon finished the same process. Most of my cuts had stopped bleeding and the sting was fading. Edward replaced the cap on the Neosporin. I stood up and he did, too, wrapping his arms around my stomach. I inhaled sharply through my teeth, jumping from the pain.

"What is it?" he asked in a concerned voice.

"You're touching a sore spot."

"What?"

I left his embrace and turned around to face him, lifting my shirt up over my stomach.

Edward leaned over and lightly ran his fingers over my many scrapes, tickling me without noticing. "What the hell did you do to yourself?" he asked, astonished.

"I climbed a tree. Or at least I tried to," I answered.

He sighed and picked the tube of Neosporin off the ground. "Let's get you somewhere you can lay down," he said. He took my hand and led me into my room. He picked me up and laid me on my bed. He lifted my shirt above my stomach and twisted the cap off of the tube again, squeezing a larger amount onto his finger. He climbed onto the bed and sat on my legs.

"Sorry. This may feel a bit… strange. It's just easiest this way. Does it hurt?" Edward asked.

"No, but does it really hurt you to bend over?" I asked.

"It doesn't really hurt, but it involves effort," he answered, smiling his little crooked smile.

I closed my eyes and got ready to try to hold in the inevitable laughter that was eventually going to force it's way out, anyhow. Edward leaned forward a bit and smeared the Neosporin lightly with his finger tips around on my stomach. I was doing good with holding in the laughs for about five seconds. I started hyperventilating because I couldn't breathe and hold in the laughter at the same time. Edward didn't seem to notice, though. He started rubbing and massaging the cream into my skin, which didn't help at all. I went through this torture about five more minutes.

When Edward finished, I opened my mouth and gasped for air.

"Are you okay? It stung that much?" he asked, putting the cap back on the Neosporin tube and tossed it onto the bedside table. Of course, it landed right in the middle, exactly where he wanted it to land.

"Oh, I'm fine. It didn't sting at all. It… it tickled," I answered, feeling a little childish.

"You're still ticklish?" He asked, raising one eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes… a little I guess," I answered sheepishly.

"A little?"

"I don't know…"

"Oh, well then." Edward took his hands and lightly dragged his finger tips down my sides. Goose bumps crawled over my skin.


	11. do i look emo?

Annabelle's POV

Edward's POV

Annabelle's hands grabbed mine and tried to pull them off, put I took them and pinned them above her head.

"God, Edward. You wouldn't," she said, laughing.

"Oh, really?" I asked, raising one eyebrow. She rolled her pretty little eyes and shook her head.

"You're lucky I'm in a generous mood," I joked letting her go. She laughed and sat up, only to quickly lay back down.

"Shit," she muttered.

"What is it?" I asked.

"You're sitting on my legs, so when I tried to sit up, I pulled a fuckin' muscle, and it burns like the fires of hell."

"Oooh, I'm sorry,' I said, standing up. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah. Calm down. You care too much," she answered, standing up and walking to the door, trying to hide the fact that she was limping. She opened the door and walked out, almost falling, but catching herself on the door frame. "It's all good in the hood," she muttered, walking to the stairs. _Thud, thud, thud._

I walked through the doorway and scoffed. "All good in the hood?" I asked, using air-quotes. "That's why you're walking like a pirate with a peg leg, right?" She had made progress limping sideways down the stairs. She sat on the railing and slid the rest of the way down, landing on the carpet at the bottom gracefully.

She turned and faced me. "I'm not limping," is all she said. She walked away, yes, walked, and a second later, when she was out of my line of vision, I heard her whisper, "Ow."

I rolled my eyes and went to put the Neosporin away.

Annabelle's POV

I limped to the kitchen and grabbed a plastic bag and filled it with crushed ice from the refrigerator door and went and sat down on the couch, laying my legs across it and setting the bag on my already bruising thigh. _I must've ripped a tendon or something, _I thought, pondering the reasons for the internal bleeding. I turned my head and looked around for the remote. Someone tapped me on my shoulder and I shot my head in the direction of the person who tapped me. Edward stood there, holding out the remote to me.

"Looking for this?" he asked with a mocking smile on his face.

"Yes, actually," I answered, taking the remote from his hand. He bent down to pick something up, and came back up with the atrocious black heeled boots and Santa outfit in hand, raising an eyebrow.

"And these?" he asked.

"Alice," I answered. I almost laughed when a look of pity and understanding appeared on his face. He dropped the articles of clothing, if they're even worthy of being called clothing, on the floor and bent down to pick up my blue fuzzy slippers. He walked around the side of the couch so that he was in front of it, and I turned my head to follow, but found it difficult because of the whiplash from turning my head so quickly when he tapped my shoulder. I groaned and hung my head. I felt Edward stick the slippers on my feet and sit down, lifting my legs and putting them down in his lap. I lifted my head and looked at him.

"You're very prone to accidents," he commented, lifting the bag of ice and making a sickened facial expression at the dark red bruise with strange purple spots scattered throughout it. I nodded and he set the bag back down.

"Slow at catching on, aren't you?" I asked.

"Well, it's like every chance to get hurt there is, there you are in the midst of it," he said.

"Are you calling me emo?" I asked, crossing my arms under my chest.

"Not really, but-"

I interrupted him by thrusting my wrists out for him to see. "Do you see any cuts?" I asked.

"Well, yes."

"Ugh. Those are from the tree! I'm just clumsy, not a stupid emo. I have no reason to throw my life away." _Not any more, at least,_ I added in my head.

"I know, I just worry. I can still smell your blood, and even though I can control myself really well, everyone snaps. You of all people should know," Edward said in a concerned, but warning tone.

I took the ice off my leg and set it on the carpet next to the couch. "Well, I can't help that I'm clumsy, and I'm not going to avoid you, so we're going to have to learn to live with each other in our lives, aren't we?" I asked, sitting up and laying my head in his lap and moving my feet to were where my head had been. Edward stroked my cheek and I smiled contently.

"You're too good for me, Edward," I whispered, turning on the TV.

"And no man is deserving of a girl like you, so we're even. Stop putting yourself down, Annabelle. You're perfect in my eyes," he answered, holding my hand in his.

"But Martha is a hell of a lot more attractive than I am, and she would say 'I do' in a second," I stated. Edward shook his head.

"It's not just about looks. She's a whore, and you're not. I like you because you are sweet, understanding, and have integrity. And no matter how much you deny it, you are very attractive," he returned. I blushed at his last comment and he noticed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Annabelle. It's a compliment. Remember that guy at the mall? He would agree with me," he told me.

"How did you know?" I asked. He pointed to his head.

"Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. I wonder why you can't read my mind," I said, flipping through the channels.

"I do, too. All the time." Edward seemed to stop and think for a moment while a Winter Olympics commercial was playing, showing all the sports.

"I want you to start figure skating. You'd be excellent," he told me.

"Do you want me in a coma that badly?" I asked, looking up at him. He laughed and gave me a hug.

"That's another reason I love you. You have a sense of humor like no other," he said, smiling down at me. I sat up and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm serious," I said. "I would die, or as I said, end up in a coma for thirty-two years. Then, one day I'll wake up thinking I'm still in the prime of my teen hood."

He shook his head and chuckled. "It'd be different on the ice. It's hard to explain, but you seem to have more… I don't know… control somehow. You're an excellent dancer, Annabelle. You're also fast, and you can keep a beat. All those things are important in figure skating. Besides, you'd look cute in all the spandex and lace."

"Not funny," I muttered.

"Not joking," he returned with a wink. I flicked his nose really hard, and he let out a faux, exaggerated gasp.

"Annabelle Wilkinson, how dare you? You'll pay for that," he said in a fake aggravated voice as he grabbed me by the chin and pulled my face close to his. It was quiet for a second, and then I leaned in and kissed him on the lips. She pulled back and smiled.

Edward's POV

"I'm going to bed. I'm getting sleepy. And you know what I just realized? You don't feel like ice anymore. You feel normal," she said, making her way to the stairs and up to her room. I listened until I heard her door shut, then I looked at the clock.

_Only eight thirty? She gets tired quick, _I thought, walking out the back door. I sat down on the porch swing and looked out to the woods. It was twilight again.


	12. someone needs to feed

Annabelle's POV

Annabelle's POV

I woke up and headed to my bathroom. I turned on the water in the bathtub and waited for the tub to fill up. Steam rose from the full tub and I stripped from my clothes and got in, submerging myself into the water. My body stung from the heat, but I soon adjusted. I remembered my finger brace and removed it, setting it on the side of the tub. I reached for my razor and started to shave. I finished my left leg and moved to my right. About half-way through, the razor caught the flesh behind my knee and ripped it. I finished shaving and stood up. I tried to stop the bleeding, but it was too close to a vein and the flesh was thin. I wrapped a towel around me and got my finger brace and put it back on. I noticed the water had mixed with my blood, but I hurried to my room to find a bandage instead of draining it. I found it quite difficult to hold my wound behind my knee and rummage for a bandage at the same time, but I eventually found one. I sat on my bed and was about to place the bandage on my cut when I heard footsteps in the hallway drawing closer. I looked down at my leg and saw how much blood had flowed onto it.

"Shit!" I hissed as Edward walked into the room. He froze, then drew his lips back over his teeth into a snarl and crouched, drawing nearer and nearer. "Edward, don't. Umm… shit. Heel! Stay! No!" You could see him struggle to gain control over his inner beast, but he just couldn't manage. He had a truly torn expression on his face.

A lot happened at once. Edward pounced, but two blurry figures leaped in through the open door and onto Edward, stopping him. They fell to the floor, a large, struggling mass. Edward was on the bottom, thrashing and kicking, but two other figures were restraining him with difficulty. If I thought Martha was an attractive blonde, she was now blown out of the water. One of these two was a blonde, who looked like she belonged on only the finest runway. The other was a muscular man with blonde hair. He wasn't a body builder, but he was buff and broad. Alice raced through the door and assisted the two. They managed to gain control, but not with ease.

"Annabelle, go," Alice said, waving me to the door. I got up and ran to the bathroom. I closed the door and sat down, shocked and scared. I steadied my breathing and stood up. I went and drained the tub and sat on the side, holding my head. I felt dizzy, so I decided to sit in the tub and cuddle up. I looked up when two people entered the bathroom and rushed over to me. Why were they so beautiful?

_Oh, duh. Vampires, _I thought.

"Are you okay?" the female one asked. She had a heart-shaped face and whitish hair. The male picked me up and cradled me with one arm. He looked like a middle-aged version of Edward with lighter hair. He placed his other hand on my cheek.

"She feels a bit warm, Esme. I think she's just in shock," was the last thing I heard before I closed my eyes and passed out cold.

Annabelle's POV

I woke up with my head in Alice's lap and her hand stroking my hair. I felt perspiration on my face, making me feel a bit soggy. I opened my eyes a little and then a little wider, shaking my head in an attempt to rid the head-ache I felt coming on. I quickly sat up, my hands making contact with the soft fabric of the towel I was still wrapped in, with the new addition of a small blanket.

"Annabelle! You're okay!" Alice shrieked as she wrapped me in a literally bone-crunching hug. I gasped for air and she let me go. She started to natter about how worried she had been, but instead of listening, I looked around the room. All the new vampires were there, even another, who had dark hair and had a mysterious look to him. He seemed to keep a distance. They all sat staring at the floor, looking depressed. Only Edward was missing.

I began to feel dizzy again, so I went to rest my head on my knees, but something soft made contact with my forehead. My knee had been bandaged.

"Who bandaged my-" Before I could finish, the middle aged male vampire raised his hand and lifted his gaze to meet mine.

"Carlisle Cullen. I'm a doctor of medicine and Edward's adopted father," he said, taking my hand and lightly kissing my knuckles.

I was about to ask how he dealt with all the blood, but then I realized something: none of the other vampires attacked me.

"My blood didn't set any of you off? Why only Edward?" I asked in surprise. All the vampires lifted their heads.

It was the oldest female vampire who spoke up. I think her name was Esme. "Edward's senses are a lot more keen to your blood than ours are, so it didn't bother us as much. And my name's Esme, Esme Cullen. I'm Edward's adopted mother and Carlisle's wife," she answered, intertwining her fingers with Carlisle's. The look he gave her was enough to make anyone jealous, man or woman. They were sitting on the piano bench. Alice was with me on the couch. The buff one was on the recliner, the pretty blonde on his lap. The newest one was the farthest away, sitting on the fire place.

I nodded and turned to sit properly on the couch. The muscular vampire broke the silence.

"I'm Emmet. This here," he said, motioning towards the beauty on his lap, "is my wife." She turned to face him and he gave her a quick, but sweet kiss on the lips.

Emmet's wife turned to face me. "I'm Rosalie." She held her hand out and I shook it.

"And that's Jasper," she said, motioning to the vampire on the fireplace.

We all heard a clicking sound and looked as Edward walked back in through the back door. His eyes were hazy and the red veins in them stood out. His skin was paler than usual. He walked right past us without looking any one in the eye and went straight upstairs. His footsteps faded and a door slammed. There was a very loud crash, then all was quit.

I sighed and looked around the room. "I guess that's my queue," I muttered as I stood up. I walked, with difficulty from the ace bandage around my knee, up the stairs and into my room. I threw on some undergarments, t-shirt, and shorts and left my room and made my way to Edward's room. I grasped the brass doorknob that Edward had crushed in anger and turned it. I then leaned against the door, but it wouldn't budge. I pushed against it again and again, but it made no difference.

"Edward, don't do this to me," I shouted through the door.

No answer.

"Edward, stop wallowing in guilt. It isn't your fault!" I thought for a moment. I had been doing the same thing about my sister's death.

I lowered my voice because I knew he could hear me anyway. "I know how you feel. Honestly, I do. My sister… Edward, please, just open the fucking door."

No answer still.

I punched the door and heard the wood splinter and then waited for the pain to kick in. I shook out my hand and mouthed 'ow' over and over again. I heard some one go "Oooh, that's gotta hurt" down stairs, probably reacting to the sound of the wood splintering. I gave up on getting inside his room and turned and sat with my back against his door.

"Jackass," I muttered bitterly. I sat there for a moment, thinking, then there was a soft _click_ and the door opened, causing me to fall backwards. I tilted my head back and saw that Edward had already gone away to his window, gazing out of it into the foggy yard. I slowly stood up and closed the door quietly. I turned back around and found what had made the crashing noise minutes before. His couch had been overturned and was across the room from it's normal position. I rolled my eyes and cautiously walked over to Edward. I put my hand on his cheek and his knuckles turned white as he balled his hands tighter. He continued to stare out the window. He put his hands on the large windowsill and leaned forward a bit. I withdrew my hand and went under his arm and sat down on the windowsill.

Edward ignored me and turned his head to the side, glaring at nothing in particular, and crossed his arms.


	13. the new jacob

Annabelle's POV

"Edward," I said, trying to get a response. Of course, he didn't move, didn't blink. I leaned forward. "I know you can hear," I whispered in his ear, laying a light kiss on his earlobe. He clenched his jaw, then loosened it again, un-squaring his shoulders. He turned his head and faced me. A pitiful, confused look was on his face. 'Annabelle' he mouthed like he was trying to say it, but was out of breath. I saw large tears welling up in his eyes. I leaned forward and wrapped him in a hug.

He stood still for a moment, then he started shaking and he fell to his knees and returned the embrace. I heard him trying to say something, but he was sobbing too hard to say anything. I raised one hand and ran my fingers through his soft hair.

"I almost k-killed y-you," he managed to choke through his sobs.

"That's not true, Edward. You didn't even touch me."

"I w-would've killed y-you if th-they weren't there." Of course he would have, but I wasn't going to say so. Only other vampires could've stopped him. I would be cold and dead if it wasn't for them, Edward's family.

"Well, luckily, your wonderful family was there, and I'm okay. That's what's important to you, right? Well, I am. Come on, stop crying," I comforted. We stayed like that for a few minutes, Edward on his knees, hugging and leaning against me and trying to control his crying, and me, sitting on the window sill and running my fingers through his hair while his head rested in my lap.

After awhile Edward stood up and took my hand, helping off the sill. He then set the couch up straight, but against the far wall. He took his stereo remote and clicked a few buttons. A sweet melody flowed through the air.

"Shall we dance?" Edward asked, taking my hand again. I nodded and wrapped my other arm around him.

"_Baby, baby, at first we met, you had this heart of mine_."

The song was 'Baby, Now That I've Found You,' by Allison Krauss. I had a sort of country sound to it, but it was pleasant. It wasn't as good as rock, in my opinion, but it was nice. I rested my head against his chest and he wrapped me in a loose hug, resting his chin on my hair. We swayed slowly to the rhythm of the music, but we slowed down to a stop and stood there together, listening to each other breathe. Neither of us noticed that someone was watching through a crack in the door.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Annabelle's POV

"Yes, Edward. I'll be fine. Now go!" I answered for the millionth time, receiving a kiss on the cheek from him. He looked worried and anxious.

"I'm sorry to leave you. It's just that I haven't gone camping with Emmet in a long, long time. I need to get out."

I nodded. "I know. I didn't ask, just go. You need fresh air, anyhow." I patted him on the arm and shooed him through the open front door. Everyone else had already one, and I would have the house to my self.

Edward gulped. "Okay. Be safe." He walked to the door, bags in hand, but stopped when he reached it, turning back to me and hurrying over. He gave me an unusually long kiss.

"Sorry, I need it to last the whole trip," he said, smiling his crooked smile. I smacked the back of his head and pulled him to the door, shoving him through the doorway and closing and locking the door behind him.

"I love you!" came a muffled shout from the opposite side of the door.

"Love you, too, Edward," I shouted back. A few minutes passed as I sat on the couch. The sound of the Volvo pulling out of the driveway and away from the house resounded in my ears. I relaxed and thought of the events that had occurred in the past twenty-four hours. That was a lot, really. I made my way up the stairs to my room and I pulled my iPod off its charger. I put a headphone in each ear and put it on shuffle. The first song that came up was "Broken Heart," from the Sound City Soundtrack.

_"I'll start up this broken heart. I'll fix it up so it will work again; better then before._

_They'll star in a mystery; a tragic tale of moments yet to come._

_With fingers crossed there will be love."_

I smiled; it was one of my favorite songs. I snapped my fingers to the beat to pick it up. I bobbed my head until the chorus came, where I leaped into the air and twirled quickly, landing on one socked foot and continued to spin. The momentum started to wear off, so I pushed with one foot and continued. I stopped and looked down, regaining my balance and laughing at how lame I was acting. I walked down the stairs and sat down on the couch in the living room, inhaling the scent of Edward that wafted around me in the room. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. A dark shadow zoomed by and I shot straight up. Nothing was there. I shook my head and thought of a way to clear my mind and decided on a shower. I turned my iPod off and set it on the table in front of me.

I was hurrying up the stairs when I could have sworn something rushed by me, leaving a gentle breeze behind it. Some strands of my hazel brown hair blew into my face. I closed my eyes and breathed in and out.

"Only I am here. I am alone. It's all good," I whispered to myself, like one of those tape recordings. I continued on to the bathroom. While I was I n the shower, I thought I saw an outline of a person outside the opaque glass of the shower box, but when I turned my head, no one was there. I finished rinsing my hair, starting to think I was schizophrenic or something. I stepped out of the shower box and wrapped myself in a towel and went to my room to get dressed. I put on undergarments, a black spaghetti strap shirt, some black shorts, and some ankle socks. I went into the hallway and down the stairs. I walked up to the table and was about to grab my iPod when I was pulled onto the couch from behind. I looked up into the face of my attacker. It was a young man, about Edward's age, with shaggy black hair that was about average length and blue eyes that matched mine. He had perfect teeth that showed as he smiled at me.

"Black looks great on you," he said, winking at me. My arms were pinned to the couch by his hands, and he was kneeling with one knee on each side of my legs. Without warning he leaned in and kissed me, forcing my lips apart. I brought my knee up as hard as I could between his legs. He doubled over, giving me time to run. I headed for the stairs, but he ran and got in front of me.

"You're a vampire!?" I asked in shock.

He nodded. "The name's Mark, gorgeous." I stumbled backward and fell backward onto the floor. In a split second, he was on top of me again.

"What's your name, little kitty?" he asked before bending down and licking me the exposed flesh above my shirt.

"And why should I tell you?" I asked, thinking of a way to escape.

"Why the sass?" he whispered in my ear. He sucked on my earlobe and I made a disgusted face and tried to struggle, kicking violently. He sat back up on my legs, releasing my arms.

"You're a feisty one," he said, running his hand along my leg.

"Stop touching me," I said through my teeth. He removed is hands and leaned over, so he was face to face with me.

"You know you want me," he whispered in a seducing tone. I stuck my tongue out and gagged. I pulled my tongue back in and scowled as he smirked. He leaned forward and kissed me again. His hands slid under my shirt and lifted it up. He moved his hands to the back of my bra and started to unfasten it. I had been struggling the entire time, but I struggled harder now.

"Good luck with that," he said. I took advantage and punched him in the nose as hard as I could. It started to bleed and he covered it with his hands.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked.

"What the fuck are you asking _me_ that question for? You're the one who's taking my clothes off!"

"I want to get back at Edward, " he said.

"Why?"

"He always gets everything he wants." He stood up and I pulled my shirt down. I walked up to him and slapped him.

"He does not!"

"Yes, he does! He gets you!"

"He only has me because Isabella got murdered, you jerk!" He walked up to me and glared at me.

"Don't call me a jerk. You don't know what he did to me. You don't know what he did to my brother. You don't know anything!" he screamed.

"I know a hell of a lot more than you do, obviously. I know he would do nothing to hurt anyone unless it was for the better! You have no fucking idea! He saved me from insanity! I was going to kill myself that night after soccer practice, but he was there for me. He cared. He knows what love is. He doesn't force himself upon girls! He's a caring person, but I don't think you would understand any of that, because you're too distracted by your own wants!" I screamed, bursting into tears at the recalling of my thoughts that night after soccer and how Edward had been there for me. I ran up the stairs, but I tripped on the last step and hit my knee on a brass flower pot. I crawled through the hallway, blinded by tears and pulling my leg along. I huddled up in a corner and cried some more.

"But I wasn't there for Maria," I managed to choke between sobs. Some body sat down next to me. Mark unsurely wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, worrying that he might get bitten by me or something.

"Maria," I sobbed. Mark rubbed soothing circles into my back.

"You need to breathe. Shhh, it's okay. Everything's going to be okay," he whispered. I shook my head.

"No, it's not. It's all my fault," I muttered in between jagged breathes.

"But you didn't do anything," Mark said. I looked up at him through red eyes.

"I know. That's why Maria's dead."


	14. he is not so bad

*Mark's POV*

I walked back out of the kitchen with an icepack and walked over to the couch, gently removing the ace bandage from Annabelle's leg and replacing it with the icepack. The ace bandage had been cutting off her circulation because her knee had swollen to four times it's size. She wasn't able to walk, so I had carried her down the stairs and put her on the couch, much to her disdain.

"Thanks," she muttered bitterly. I rolled my eyes.

"I said I'm sorry!" I said. "But you _are_ pretty damn attractive."

"Bastard," I said.

"I wasn't going to… you know. I was just trying to get Edward to come running to your aid so I could beat his ass," Mark muttered.

"You're just lucky I can't kick _your_ ass right now."

*Annabelle's POV*

Mark walked back to the kitchen, shaking his rear mockingly. I threw the ice pack at it and I hit it. He turned in surprise and smirked.

"I knew you'd warm up to me," he said. I glared at him.

"Psh. Dream on. I don't love you, nor do I find you attractive."

He bent over and picked up the ice pack, then he made his way back over to me. He bent over so he was face to face with me.

"Oh, really?" he whispered, getting closer. I head butted him and he stood back up, rubbing his head. His eyes shifted from the ice pack to me and back. Suddenly. He shoved the ice pack in my shirt and held my arms to the couch and sat on my legs, being careful to avoid my knee. I giggled.

"That's cold!" I laughed.

"I know, right?" Mark said, laughing as well.

"I think I'm going to get hypothermia."

*Mark's POV*

"I could warm you up," I suggested jokingly. She smiled.

"Okay," she whispered. I sat up.

_What?_

She sat up, bringing her face to mine. She leaned closer still and I hesitantly kissed her. She took the ice pack from her shirt and quickly shoved it in the front of my pants, laughing.

"Gotcha!" she laughed.

"You _actually_ thought I'd fall for you?" I blushed and fumbled around, trying to get the icepack out of my pants. I finally did and I got up and walked away to the back door. She had stopped laughing and was watching me.

"I'm sorry," she said.

I shook my head and went out the back door and sat on the porch swing. A few minutes passed and I heard a couple thuds and then the back door opened. Annabelle limped over to the swing and sat down, out of breathe.

"I didn't mean to offend you. I was just playing around."

"Well, I'd prefer if you didn't 'play around' with my heart. That's a horrible think to do. Just go away."

"Oh, come on. You're only using me to anger Edward, anyway."

I didn't say another word. Annabelle got up and limped away with difficulty. She slammed the door behind her. I could hear the limps growing distant. Then, there were several booms and Annabelle yelled a curse word. I ran inside to see her crawling up the stairs with several bruises on her head and arms, accompanied by some nasty looking carpet burns on her shins. Her swollen knee was getting worse, now turning purple and red with internal bleeding. She slipped again and landed in a bruised heap at the foot of the stairs. I rushed over to help her.

"Oh, no. Don't help me. That might make Edward happy. We wouldn't that, now, would we?" Annabelle said sarcastically, inching away up the stairs. I watched as she made her way about half way up and then she started slipping again. I couldn't watch her struggle like that. I went up to her and tried to help her.

"Don't… just don't touch me," she muttered with difficulty. I laid a hand on her shoulder.

"No," she said sternly. I took my hand away and watched as she struggled her way up to the last step. She dragged herself into the hallway, where she tried to stand up. Her good knee buckled, but she caught herself and stood upright. She inhaled deeply and slowly limped to her room. She collapsed against her door, where she sat for a while. She reached her arm up and turned the handle, opening the door. She dragged herself backwards into her room and shut the door with her foot.

*Annabelle's POV*

I collapsed onto my bed, wincing in pain. My carpet burns had started to bleed and I had a throbbing headache. I willed myself not to cry. I had to be tough. I had been crying too much recently. It started to hurt when I breathed heavily, so I tried to calm down. It wasn't so easy, and I ended up falling asleep from exhaustion.


	15. i love you

*Annabelle's POV*

"She should be okay, but she took quite a beating. I gave her some pain medications, but she should stay in bed. We may need to take her to the emergency room to get her knee x-rayed once the swelling goes down. It may have gotten worse because she tried to use it after she hurt it. That's about it."

"Thanks, Carlisle."

I opened my eyes to see Edward talking to Carlisle. Carlisle nodded and left the room, silently closing the door behind him.

"Edward," I said, trying to sit up. He hurried over to me, worry showing in his eyes.

"I'm here. Don't move," he said, stroking my cheek. "What happened?"

"Long story."

"I've got all eternity."

I decided to skip over the parts with Mark. Other than that, I told him everything.

"Nice try, Annabelle. What _else_ happened?"

"Well, Mark-"

"Mark did this? I'll kill him," Edward said, fury welling in his eyes.

"No, you won't. He isn't entirely at fault," I said.

"I'm going to go get the full story. I'll be back, honey," he said, kissing my cheek and leaving the room. I sat there for a few minutes in silence, just waiting.

*Edward's POV*

"It was an accident, Mark! I didn't mean to hurt him! Your brother was a good person. I would never…" I said. Mark shook his head.

"Why? He died because of _you_, Edward. I can't forget that," Mark said.

"Look, Mark, just tell me what happened."

"Why should I?"

"I want to know everything that happened to my Annabelle. I won't hold it against you. I know what anger and sorrow can do." He told me everything. He was lucky there was some one that would've heard him scream other than myself, or I would have killed him. He had kissed Annabelle.

*Annabelle's POV*

Edward and Mark both entered the room. Neither would face each other. Edward motioned for Mark to go talk to me while he sat in a chair in the corner of the room. Mark walked up to me, smiling feebly.

"I'm sorry Annabelle," he said softly. I beckoned him forward and wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry for any trouble I got you into," I told him. He stood back up.

"It was worth it," he said, winking. Edward was about to break the arm rest of the chair. I reached up and hit Mark playfully. I shuddered. The bruises on my hand and arm throbbed. Mark looked at me with a concerned gaze. He took my hand and laid a soft kiss on it.

"Goodbye, Annabelle," he whispered. He turned and left the room. I don't know why, but I felt tears in my eyes. I wiped them away. I heard a snap from the corner of the room and saw that Edward had broken the armrest. I laughed.

"Come here, Edward," I said. He stood up and walked over to me. I grabbed his shirt and pulled him down so I could kiss him.

"You know I love you. Don't be like that," I said. He walked around to the other side of the bed and laid down next to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"I love you, too," he said, kissing my neck. He moved his hands under my shirt and fastened my bra for me.

"Thanks," I said as he removed his hands from underneath my shirt.

"Any time," he joked. I flipped over so I was facing him and he stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. He started to hum a new lullaby; one I hadn't heard yet. I drifted off to sleep.

*Edward's POV*

I laid there with Annabelle until about five the next morning. Then, I snuck out of her grasp and her room and set out with a mission.


	16. happy birthday? no way

*Annabelle's POV*

I woke up at about nine o'clock. Alice was shaking me.

"Wake up, Annabelle! Happy birthday!" she said while laughing her tinkly little laugh. I rolled over and forced myself to open my eyes and look up at her.

"Did you bring enough drugs for everyone?" I asked sarcastically.

"It's not even my birthday," I muttered, getting out of bed and wiping sleep out of my eyes. I tried to walk and then something just hit me: the floor. I had forgotten that I had hurt my knee. The muscles had loosened so my knee kind of gave out and bent at a weird angle.

"I'm okay," I said, standing back up, and this time favoring my right knee.

"Will you be able to make it down the stairs?" Alice asked, supporting me by my upper right arm.

"Yeah. At least I'm not going _up_ the stairs. That obviously didn't turn out too well," I joked. Alice laughed.

"Okay. I'll be downstairs," she said, leaving the room. I walked over to my dresser and changed into a white v-neck sweater and some jeans. I brushed my hair and put it up in a pony tail, and then my clip. I slipped on some ankle socks and left my room. I slowly made my way down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I turned to the right and stared through the doorway to the living room. The room was decorated with red and green, like Christmas. I walked and stood in the doorway and stared in astonishment. Someone tapped my shoulder from behind. I turned, still sort of confused and amazed, to see Edward standing there. He took me in his arms and kissed me., holding my lips to his. His other hand pulled me too him by my lower back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back. Edward pulled back first.

"Happy belated birthday, Annabelle," he said. He motioned upward above our heads. I looked up. Mistletoe. Edward brought my face to his once more. It was a much shorter, but equally sweet, kiss. He stopped and smiled his little crooked grin, picking me up.

"I'm sorry we didn't really celebrate your birthday," he said, walking over to the couch and setting me down. "So I bought you a surprise. Wait here!" He was excited like a little kid. It got me curious.

"Okay," I said, grinning. He was gone, but a minute later, he reappeared something behind his back.

"Want to see it?" he mused.

"Sure." He pulled his right hand around in front. A tiny kitten with black fur was in his palm. It looked like a little dust ball. It was fluffy, little kitten. I clasped my hands over my mouth and squealed. Edward sat down next to me and motioned for me to take it. I reached my hand out and it stood up in Edward's hand, wobbling. It's little blue eyes stared at me as it meowed a squeaky little meow. It pounced onto my lap and settled down into a little dust ball.

"What are you going to name it?" Edward asked. I wrinkled my nose in thought.

"Nuisance. I'll name him nuisance."

Edward laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"That's a great name for a kitten!" Alice said, appearing out of nowhere. She picked him up out of my lap.

"I've always wanted a kitten," Alice thought out loud. She turned to me.

"I'm going to go teach him how to use a litter box," she said, walking away with the kitten. Edward and I stared at each other for a moment, and then laughed.

"Come on," Edward said, taking my hand and helping me walk to the white grand piano. We sat down on the bench together and Edward took some papers and set them up on the stand. He positioned his hands in the proper places, and then he started to play a sweet melody. It was the lullaby he had hummed to me last night. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder, listening to the music. The song lasted about four minutes, and when it was over, I gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you," I said to him. He winked at me.

"You're welcome, honey." I thought for a moment.

"I'm still not used to that."

"What?" he asked.

"You calling me 'honey'. No one even really said my name before I moved in with you," I answered. Edward pondered this for a moment.

"Does it bother you?" he asked.

"No, I'm just not used-"

"I mean living with me and… being with me. It has proven to make your life more challenging."

"Did Mark tell you everything?"

"Yes. Not in detail, but-"

"What about the part where I told him you saved my life?" I asked

"What do you mean, Annabelle?" Edward asked.

"Remember when we were in the locker room, and I told you that I wasn't about to go jump off a bridge?"

"Yes…"

"Well, in literal sense, I was telling the truth, but I wanted to end my life. I didn't care about myself and either did any one else, but you, Edward, you showed me that ounce of care. You saved my life. It's better to have a difficult life than no life at all." There was a moment of silence, then Edward took my hands in his and stared me in the eyes.

"Annabelle, don't you ever, _ever_, think about doing something that stupid again," he said in a stern voice, clenching his jaw. I moved my gaze downward so I didn't have to meet his piercing gaze. He lifted my chin so we were both at the same level.

"Do you understand me?" he asked. I nodded and he pulled me into a hug. Alice, who apparently had been listening, joined in and nestled her chin on my head. Small tears ran down her face and hit my head. We sat there for a while, until there was a small meow. Nuisance climbed my leg, hooking his little claws in my jeans as he went. He swatted and hissed at Edward playfully. Edward let go of me played with the kitten with a forefinger. Alice smiled.

"I was coming to tell some good news. We got the lake house for New Years Eve," she said. Edward smiled and looked at me.

"Are you up for it?" he asked me. I nodded eagerly. I had never been to a lake house before. It sounded fun.

"When are we leaving?" I asked them.

"When ever you're ready," Alice answered, heading to the stairs.

"C'mon, I'll help you pack," she said. She walked into my room. I stood up and Edward stopped me, turning me around to face him.

"Don't you ever do that to yourself. Don't do it to _me_." I smiled.

"You don't need to worry. I told you, you already saved my life. Why throw it away now?" I leaned closer and kissed him. "I've got _you_ to live for." Nuisance padded up to me and walked in and out between my legs.

"And Nuisance. Don't forget to live for him," Edward joked. I picked up my cat and went to my room to pack my bags.


	17. lake house here we come

. *Alice's POV*

"You don't have a _bathing suit_?" I asked Annabelle in amazement. She shrugged.

"Why would I if I don't have a pool to swim in?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders and folding up some clothes so they would fit in her bag.

"Well, lucky for you, I have an old one." I stared at her, expecting the worst.

"And it's not a bikini."

"Thank the good lord above," I muttered. Alice rolled her eyes.

"I'll be right back." I waited a second and she was back.

"I wish I could run fast."

"When you become a vampire, you'll be faster than Edward. Just wait." I smiled. I could imagine being the fastest and beating Edward, much to his dismay.

"I doubt that." Edward was In the doorway, smirking. Alice just smiled and held out a bathing suit. I took it from her arms. It had a pair of surfer shorts that were a jungle green and a top that covered my stomach and was held up by four spaghetti straps on either side that was the same color, but it had a sparkly tint to it.

"It's not so bad," I said. Alice smiled.

"I have others, if you want to see them. I have this really cute two piece, and-"

"That's okay, Alice. This one's fine."

"Fine," she said. "I'll spare you. Only this time, though. Next time, it's the mall."

*Edward's POV*

It rained the entire way to the lake, but it lightened up when we arrived. Annabelle slept the entire way, peacefully snoozing in the backseat, stirring now and then. I unbuckled my seatbelt and went to open the back door.

"Annabelle, honey, wake up. We're here. Wake up." I put slight pressure on her hip to wake her up. She awoke and turned her head to face me.

"You can leave me here. I'll be fine," she muttered almost inaudibly, not wanting to move. I smiled and bent over, picking her up and closing the car door afterwards. I walked a short distance up the gravel drive way and opened the heavy wooden door to the lake house. I walked inside and over to the big, soft couch, where I laid Annabelle down. She rolled over, mumbled something, and fell back asleep. I smiled and went to unpack the car. Alice walked by me and to the kitchen, putting up some groceries. She smiled at me and I smiled back, feeling suddenly tired.


	18. seal it with a kiss

*Annabelle's POV*

I woke up in a cool room. I looked around. _So this is the lake house,_ I thought. A slight breeze blew my hair across my face. It was coming from an open sliding glass door that led to a patio. A beautiful sunset appeared to be resting on the wooden railing, but it was beyond it. I walked out onto the wooden patio and looked at the breathe-taking reflection in the lake. Edward walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my torso, resting his chin on my head.

"The Shenandoah Mountains are beautiful, aren't they?" I nodded.

"I thought we were in the Blue Ridge Parkway. Aren't the Shenandoah owned by the state?"

"Yes, but we were here first."

"By 'we' you mean your family?"

"No, family friends. We could have gotten into the White House if we really wanted, but I don't think being mistaken for terrorists is a nice vacation. Then, we'd have to make New Years resolutions in jail, and they'd probably be along the lines of 'I will not get killed by mafia members' or 'I will win two gang fights'." I laughed.

"You'd get away from the cops, anyway. I'd be the one in jail," I said.

"What? It's not like I'd leave you," he said. "You know that, right?" I thought for a moment.

"I don't know. If _I_ was the vampire and _you_ were the human, I'd most likely leave you," I confessed. Edward was silent for a moment.

"You're not serious, are you?" he asked quietly. I didn't talk for a while and I could feel Edward get tense. I burst into laughter.

"You- you believed me? Of course I wouldn't leave you!" I said in between laughs. Edward let go of me and walked to the other edge of the railing, not looking at me.

"Mark was right. You do play with a man's emotions with no guilt." I scoffed.

"You people can't take a joke," I muttered, walking inside. I traipsed straight from one door right through the other, walking out into the front lawn. I looked down at my feet, thinking about what Edward had just said. _You do play with a man's emotions with no guilt._ He was right. But it's not like I was trying to be mean…

"Got you." I looked up just in time to see who I was going to run into. Edward was standing there, wearing his little crooked smile.

"I'm sorry, Edward. You and Mark are both right. I need to stop messing with people and how they feel. But I'm not being mean on purpose..." I muttered in an apologetic tone.

"You're too hard on yourself. I was just joking. It didn't bother me. Sure, it hurt Mark's feelings, but he's just a pansy," Edward said. I smiled.

"Who are you calling a pansy, girly-man?" I looked up and smiled.

"Mark!" I gave him a big hug, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Warming up to me?" he whispered in my ear, smirking. I pulled back and glared at him.

"Another snide remark, I'll castrate you," I said, trying to sound chipper. Edward hid a laugh by clearing his throat. Mark winked.

"I didn't think you'd go that far, kitten," Mark said. I smiled and walked up to him, staring him in the eye for a moment. Suddenly, I kicked his left knee cap. I stood there, waiting for him to keel over in pain.

"Damnit. Damn vampires don't feel any damn pain," I muttered, walking back inside.

"Hey!" Alice said. "You're up! Come on. I'll show you where your stuff is. It's in the guest room." I followed her up the stairs and into the third door on the left. The room was an off white with little waves going around the top of the walls like a border. The bed was underneath a big window that had a view off the evergreen pines.

"Thanks, Alice."

"No problemo, kiddo. I'll be downstairs."

I grabbed my iPod and plopped down onto my bed, sticking a headphone into each ear. I put the iPod on shuffle and closed my eyes. I was still kind of tired from all of the previous events. I laid there and just thought. I thought about everything that had happened in the past few weeks; a little bit of heaven, a little bit of hell. I fell into a sort of daze, so I didn't notice when the door opened and someone entered the room. He walked over and joined me on the bed, putting his arms around me. He felt cold. Suddenly, he kissed me. I opened my eyes, expecting to see Edward.

"Mmmt thm mck?" I asked, trying to force Mark off of me. He sat up on my legs.

"You never really said hello," he said, smirking. "So, I thought I would come give you the chance."

"How about I just skip to the goodbye? Goodbye!"

"Aw, come on. That's no fun." Mark ran his fingertips along my cheeks. "I'm not going to give up on you. You know that, right?" I scowled.

_Ah hah! Brilliant! _I thought. Quickly, I turned my head and chomped down hard on the fingers of his right hand.

"Ah! Let go! My god, Annabelle! You're violent as hell!"

I unlatched my jaw from his hand and spit.

"Yes, I know. It makes life more interesting. Now would you get the fuck off of me?"

Mark stood up and backed away, his hands held up, including his bleeding right one. "Fine! Fine! All you had to do was ask. You didn't have to break flesh!" he said. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

I stood up and took him by his left hand to the bathroom down the hall. Mark was silent. I dug around in the cabinet until I found an ace bandage and a tube of Neosporin. I sat up on the counter and motioned for him to put his right hand on my knee. I reached around behind me and wet a washcloth with some soap on it in the sink. I turned back around and wiped of the beads of blood dripping off of his hand, some of which had already dripped onto my jeans. I set the bloody rag aside and opened the Neosporin.

What am I doing? You don't need this. You're a vampire," I said in realization. Mark fidgeted and looked uncomfortable.

"Actually, I do need it," he admitted sheepishly. "You see, when Jasper saved me, I was bleeding to death, so I still bleed and heal just like a human."

"Jasper saved you?" I asked, surprised. I hadn't known how Mark had met the Cullens.

"Yeah, I don't know how he was able to put up with all the blood…"

I rubbed some Neosporin into Mark's bitten fingers until it soaked into his skin. It was pretty much silent for a while except for the rustling when I opened the ace bandage around his right hand and tied it off. I hopped off of the counter, threw the empty bandage box away, and put up the Neosporin. I turned around to see Mark staring down at his feet. I walked over to him, took both of his hands in one of mine, and lifted his chin with the other until his downward gaze met mine.

"You know I love you, but it's a brotherly love, Mark. It's not like it is with Edward and me."

"Why do you compare me to that 'Mr. Perfect' jerk? I don't want to be like him, but that doesn't mean I don't want you- need you as much as he does, Annabelle. I… I love you even more than he does. You just have to look through the imperfections and see that."

I shook my head. "I'm not comparing you to Edward. I'm comparing the relationships I have with the two of you. You are both dear to me, just in different ways. Besides, I know that no one can be perfect. You're just brave enough to admit it. I know that's hard. Take it from me." I stood on my tip toes and kissed his forehead and smiled.

"Okay, fine. There's just one more thing," Mark said mischievously. I raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"One more kiss."

Before I had time to protest, he pulled me against him by my lower back pushed his lips against mine. After a while, I stopped struggling due to the lack of oxygen in my system, and started to feel lightheaded. I felt like I was going to fall over. Luckily, Mark released me, but I fell and my head hit the edge of the bathtub with a thud. Then, I slipped and hit the tile.

"Owe," I muttered, trying to get up. The dizziness overwhelmed me and I collapsed back onto the cold tile floor.

"Will you stop hitting on me now?" I asked quietly. My eyelids fluttered shut and I blacked out.


End file.
